Late Night Departures
by TakemylovedowntoVioletHill
Summary: Edward Elric returns to Risembool in the night on a whimsy, seeing Winry again. A short story about deciding whether to face love or run away again.


The sun had set as I looked at the frail stars glittering. I had always wondered what a life the stars lived; did they see and understand as we did?

The summer air was invigorating, the crickets chirped happily amongst themselves. I knew that she was a ways away from me, I had heard her approaching, but she thought I was still unaware of her presence.

"Winry," I sighed, turning to look at her. The fireflies were out, flying around, illuminating the dark blue night.

"Edward." She replied softly, taking a step forward. I smiled at her, raising a tentative hand in greeting.

"It's nice to see you." I murmured, turning around again to look back up at the stars. "I was just enjoying the stars…"

"Where have you been?" she asked, her voice sounded weary.

"Around… I stopped to see Mustang. Can you believe that the bastard married Hawkeye?" I said absentmindedly. "Al is doing well, he wanted me to say hello. His job at the butcher shop is going good."

A hand on my shoulder made me turn again to see Winry, much closer than before. Her eyes glittered in the fireflies' light. She managed a small smile and stood beside me.

"Grandma's been waiting to hear from you two." She said.

"I can't settle down, just something in my soul… tells me I need to keep moving. I went to visit Ling and 2nd Lieutenant Ross… Everyone seems to have figured it all out but me." I sighed. I felt her eyes on me and looked back, watching a firefly go right by her ear.

"Oh Ed, you've always got a spot with us." Winry said gently. "You're always welcome here. We've missed you."

"_We_?"

"I've missed you." She corrected. I tightened my grip on my suitcase, my gaze flickering around everywhere.

The moon glittered onto the open fields of Resembool where I had spent my childhood… so long ago that had been. I remembered picking flowers and giving them to my mother, Al and I fighting over Winry.

I cleared my throat. "I don't know if I can stay here." I murmured.

"Don't say that Edward." She pleaded. "Please don't say that, come inside and unpack."

I cocked my head at her and smiled, bringing a hand to her cheek. "Winry… I always loved those eyes. I'm sorry that they were usually so tearful. But they are beautiful just the same." I whispered.

"Ed," she said. "Come inside."

I ignored this comment and dropped my hand. "Remember when we used to go to the creek and swim? Remember all those times we had?"

"Yes," she replied faintly. "Or when we'd have picnics outside your house underneath the tree?" I turned to her and nodded my head.

"Always, every afternoon." I murmured.

"And then your mother would let us inside and I would sit and watch you and Al pour over your alchemy books." She added. I smiled.

"That was ages ago… to be able to transmute again." I looked down at my hands mournfully. "I've almost forgotten what that feels like."

"Maybe that's why you can't settle." Winry said. "You're looking for that, for the alchemy."

I shifted my eyes to the sky, holding out my hand and watching a firefly land on it. "Maybe," I said gently. "I think you're right Winry."

"Why did you come here if you weren't going to stay?" she asked.

"I wanted to come back," I replied. "I wanted to see everything again, it's been so long. I wanted to see you." I added. "I had almost forgotten what you looked like, that scared me."

Silence blanketed us and I dropped my suitcase to sit down on the grass. She sighed and followed suit, the two of us silhouetted against the moon. I offered my firefly to her and she accepted it, watching it crawl up and down her finger slowly.

"I've been waiting for you Edward." Winry spoke after a long time.

This caught me by surprise and I looked at her. "Really?"

"Of course," she responded. "You and Al… you were all I have, and Al's off starting his life, Riza's getting ready for her baby, General Mustang's off to war. Grandma doesn't even remember me sometimes, but she always recalls you two. She'll wake up in the morning and ask me 'where are those boys? Ed and Alphonse?' and I don't know how to reply because I don't know." Her shoulders shook slightly and her chin quivered.

"Winry…" I said, pained. She shook her head.

"I'm stuck here," she murmured. "I have nowhere to go, while you're off parading around the world. I want to come with you Edward." Her sapphire eyes were now on his gold ones.

I drew her into my arms and she nuzzled her head into my chest. "Winry…" I repeated, unsure of how to react.

She brought a finger to my lips, looking at the firefly as it flew away into the night. I fell silent as she leaned back into me. "You've gotten taller." She commented.

I glared at her head. "You think that I'd still be the same size when I'm nineteen!" I snapped. She shrugged, smirking into my shirt.

"Who knew?" she replied. I frowned but didn't reply to the comment.

The stars blinked and danced for us as we gazed up in silence, watching each little movement from the cosmos. I was aware of how close she was to me and I closed my eyes, leaning my cheek against her head, inhaling her sweet scent.

"I missed you too Winry." I said, barely audible, into her hair.

"I know." She whispered back. Her arms wound around my neck and I found myself looking into her eyes again, but only for a split second before our lips were together.

I widened my eyes in surprise as I felt her fingers knot themselves into my braid and I wound my arms around her waist. She groaned against my lips and I pulled away, kissing her cheek, then her neck. "Winry," I breathed.

"Edward," she gasped, her eyes craning skyward while I trailed my lips back up to hers.

I kissed her once on the lips, twice, three times. Her eyes fluttered and her cheeks flushed, I watched her, dumbstruck. She was so wonderful, a beautiful thing to behold. "Edward?" she whispered.

"Y-yes Winry?" I said.

"I love you," she replied, ducking her head beneath my chin.

I closed my eyes and untangled myself from her. "I think I might love you too Winry." I murmured, not being able to ignore the joy in my heart at hearing her say these words to me. I stood and picked up my suitcase. She followed suit, standing with a hopeful look in her eyes.

"Are you staying?" she asked, kissing me again. I felt my eyes roll into my head slightly at the taste of her on my tongue.

"I'm thirsty," I whispered in her ear. "Could you get me something?"

"Of course! Wait here." She directed, turning towards the house.

I watched her walk into the house that had seen me grow into an adult and sighed. I did love her, I loved her as much as she loved me… we had grown up together, my mind told me that I also wanted to grow old with this woman.

I also knew that I couldn't stay here, and I couldn't have her with me wherever I went. I looked back up into the night sky. I had always wondered what a life the stars lived; did they see and understand as we did?

Winry ran down the porch steps with a glass of water in her hands and stopped dead to see the spot where Edward Elric had been standing a few minutes before. Tears stung her eyes as she dropped the glass on the ground, ignoring the shattering, she fell to her knees.

"Edward," she said, looking down at the mud being formed from the water mixing with the dirt on the road. "Edward let me come too."

I cast a farewell glance at Risembool as I boarded the midnight train to take me somewhere new… I needed to leave here before Winry made me stay. Love, it was suffocating my throat, clouding my eyes as I pictured her standing where we had been only an hour before. This love was making my heart ache for her, to want to run back and bury myself in her arms, never leaving again.

I couldn't let that happen, I needed to keep moving, I couldn't let this love stop me.


End file.
